


The Spirit of Yuletide

by Kaimi_Kreissel



Series: Tales Secret Santa One-shots [3]
Category: Tales of Xillia 2
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 17:33:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28657284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaimi_Kreissel/pseuds/Kaimi_Kreissel
Summary: Ludger, Milla, Jude, and Elle decorate a Yuletide tree while the cook explains some Elympion Yuletide traditions. However an unexpected happens and it may put the Yuletide on hold.
Relationships: Jude Mathis/Ludger Will Kresnik
Series: Tales Secret Santa One-shots [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2100180
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	The Spirit of Yuletide

**Author's Note:**

> This was done as my Tales Secret Santa 2017 assignment for the Tumblr user @izuminokamiis.

It was that time of the year already: Yuletide. The whole Elympios was preparing to celebrate birth of some historical figure, a thing that was foreign for the inhabitants of Rieze Maxia. Many curious Rieze Maxians where educating themselves about the event that was the hot topic at the moment.

In the middle of all this Jude found himself decorating a large yuletide tree, a spruce to be exact, but for Elympions the name didn't really matter. Helping him were Milla, Ludger, and Elle. Others had other duties to attend, even though Leia really wanted to get a break from her work at the newspaper.

„I must say, this 'Yuletide tree decoration' ritual is quite enjoyable,” Milla commented. „I would have never guessed that the people of Elympios had such an entertaining activity.”

„Heh, decorating Yuletide trees has began around two hundred years ago,” a very amused Ludger explained. „A lot of Yuletide activities and traditions also started around that time too.”

„Oh, I haven't expected you to be a history enthusiast, Ludger,” Jude said surprised, nearly dropping a large red bauble onto the floor, but it was saved by the other man. „Th-thanks.” Jude's cheeks reddened momentarily, but Ludger hasn't noticed it.

„Looks like Ludger saves the day once again!” Elle chirped. She was certainly in a good mood. Decorating the tree with Ludger, Jude, and Milla has lifted her up. „Seems like you'll be getting a nice present from the Yuletide spirit.”

„A yuletide spirit?” Milla asked curious. „I've never heard of such a spirit.”

„Daddy says that when a person is nice throughout the year, a Yuletide spirit will come on Yuletide Eve and give him a sock full of nice presents.”

„That certainly sounds interesting. Your father knows far more spirits than the Lord of Spirits herself. He must be on good terms with them all,” Milla chuckled.

„He sure is!”

„Ludger, can you tell us more about those 'traditions' you mentioned earlier?” Jude asked.

His somewhat scientific curiosity was bubbling inside him. Elympios has a lot of many different holidays, every one of them different from the things he grew familiar on Rieze Maxia. Learning something new about this „Yuletide” will certainly help in understanding Elympions more.

„Well, there is this silly tradition when two people happen to be under mistletoe they're supposed to kiss,” Ludger provided. Elle responded with a grunt of disguise. „In many parts of Elympios the Yuletide Eve supper has twelve dishes, but I can't see a single person to eat even little of each.”

Upon hearing this, Jude has cautiously looked at Milla. He remembered how on their first journey together she ended up finishing a really large bowl of soup and several makeweights at Aladhi Seahaven. Ludger hasn't experienced the true extent of Milla's aparently bottomless stomach. Jude sighed at the mere thought of Milla swallowing twelve dishes with little problem, an act that would like leave Ludger scarred for life.

„Elympios has certainly a large number of unique traditions pertaining to Yuletide,” Milla commented. „Hearing all this just makes me want to learn more!”

„M-Milla—!” Jude gasped in horror. „Don’t get ahead of yourself!”

„Jude, I think that Milla deserves a little treat once in a while.”

„Not you, Ludger, _not you_!” Jude cried out. „You don’t even realize how scary can she turn—”

That was his big mistake. It was too late when he realized what he started to say. Milla approached him, a wicked grin painted across her face. Jude could only look in horror and hope for the best.

„’Scary’, you say?” she said, her lips dangerously close to his ear. “I’ll show you what ‘scary’ means!” She then drew a large, straight candy stick out of nowhere and thrust it at Jude sending him flying across the room. “Prepare yourself! Your conviction will be tested!”

“’Conviction’ about what!?” Jude cried out, but he earned no response.

Milla came charging at him at a blinding speed and the only thing that came to Jude’s mind was to brace himself for the attack. But it never came. Instead Ludger threw himself between the two, defending the man with two curly candy sticks in hands assuming a defensive position.

“Th-thanks...”

“I believe this duel is between me and Jude, Ludger,” Milla said. “Or are _you_ also thinking I’m scary?”

“Well, you’re the Lord of Spirits, so, um, well...” Ludger just smiled shyly as he briefly glanced at Jude. “It wouldn't be really fair to fight so powerful person like you alone, would it?”

“I don’t think you understand the meaning of a ‘fair fight’,” Milla scoffed. “Still, if that is what you wish for, then it shall be.”

Milla then jumped back and followed with a leap and a crashing downward slash, but was blocked by Ludger’s ridiculously large toy hammer that he has found nearby. Meanwhile Jude followed with a rising punch from a sock-wearing fist that he has quickly snatched from the nearby fireplace. Milla quickly recovered in midair and slashed with her sword, sending an arc of wind at her opponents. The two men swiftly evaded the attack, but Milla’s years of combat training showed as she gracefully landed near Jude and assaulted him with a blade dance. The young scientist had to play defensive, but quickly enough Ludger assisted him with his own flurry of attacks delivered with his twin candy sticks.

Jude then leaped into the air and came crushing as his fist was covered in ice, the impact with the ground launching an angled pillar of ice from it at Milla. The joint assault of Jude and Ludger proved too much for the Lord of Spirits and one of her legs was stuck in ice.

“R-Ready to give up?” Jude asked, his breathing heavy.

“Oh?” Milla was surprised. “I’m just _heating_ up! Burning Echo!”

Two waves of fire burst from the woman, the first one melted the ice that immobilized her leg, while the second one struck Ludger and Jude who were so close to her they weren’t able to quick-step far enough to evade. She then followed with a quick lunge aimed at Ludger a struck him three times, trailing the letter Z. The weaponsmaster growled in pain, while Jude jumped it on the action and performed a three-hit punch combo followed with a powerful kick that sent Milla flying across the room.

Elle was watching everything from distance. At first she wanted to stop them, but after a while decided not to as she hasn’t seen such a fight before. Sure, she followed Ludger and the gang and saw them fight against all kinds of monsters and humans too, but this was definitely different.

Now it was Milla’s turn to retaliate. She conjured a large ball of fire in front of her that she then fired at Jude. But once again it was Ludger’s turn to be the young scientist’s savior and came from above smashing the fireball into the ground. However the young chef hasn’t foreseen that much into the future and the collision between the two caused an explosion that send him flying through the roof.

“Ludger!” Elle cried out.

“No!” Followed Jude.

“I think this will make for an even match,” Milla said. “Now prepare!”

But there was no time for preparation. The Lord of Spirits worked quicker than light. Milla conjured six swords of light above Jude that impaled themselves around him, forming a glyph of light on the ground. The swords then sank into the ground and a large sword burst forth upward from beneath Jude launching him into the air. Milla launched herself at her opponent and performed a rising crescent slash, further propelling Jude into the air, then performed several rising spins, slashing her sword around herself. She then finally reached the zenith of her “flight” and performed a powerful downward slash.

“Brilliant Bladestorm!”

As Milla landed, a large pillar of light emanated from her. Elle could only watch in horror as Jude was, well... _slayed_.

Jude came crashing into the floor, soon followed by Ludger. Elle quickly ran for the weaponsmaster and checked if he was alive. She didn’t exactly know what to do, but she noticed his heavy breaths and chest going slowly up and down. She let a sigh of relief. She took a quick glance at Jude and saw that he acted pretty much the same as Ludger, so that too was a relief.

“Now I hope I changed your mind about me, Jude,” Milla calmly said. It was very strange to hear her so collected when mere moments ago she was in some kind of battle rage. “You too, Ludger.”

“One could say you’re a real eli-Milla-tor, Milla,” said Elle with a grin, earning a groan from Ludger and Jude.

“Thank you, Elle.”

The pun seemed to just pass by the Lord of Spirits. There were still a lot of things regarding human culture that were foreign to her despite her extensive research into humans.

“Well, Jude,” Elle turned to the battered down young scientist, “I hope you won’t make Milla angry anymore. It’s a miracle that the Yuletide tree survived intact.”

“With that little issue settled, why don’t you say we call truce, Jude, Ludger?” Milla extended one hand toward Jude and the other toward Ludger, a somewhat mischievous smile on her lips.

“A-Alright,” agreed Jude. He then turned to Ludger, “Let’s agree to not call Milla bad things from now on, okay?”

“Y-Yeah, let’s,” the cook replied with an aghast expression.


End file.
